Damian Lewis' character might be on the way out

'Homeland' has been suffering from a severe lack of Damian Lewis in season three so far but with his return to screens teased in the last episode, is it time that Brody is finally killed off? Brody is a gift of a character for star Damian Lewis and despite Carrie's bipolar disorder and compelling compulsiveness, he is the star and most fascinating character of the show. While Lewis might be locked in for seven seasons, that does not actually guarantee that he will be in the show for all those seven seasons.

Despite criticisms of season three, 'Homeland' has been renewed for a fourth season but with Lewis on the sidelines for most of the latest season, will he make it into the fourth or will he be killed off by the writers?

Second chance

Apparently Brody was never meant to make it past the first season of 'Homeland'. When he went in to that bunker with the bomb vest attached and ready to blow his way to martyrdom, that was meant to be it for the character and what a brilliant ending to season 1 that would have been. However it would have left season two with a gaping Lewis shaped hole. Unfortunately the executives at Showtime got greedy and decided Brody had to make it through to the second season so annoyingly his daughter Dana's phone conversation talked him out of blowing himself up. The same thing happened at the end of season two with the writers originally planning Brody's death before the big bosses at Showtime again stepped in.

Testing fans

I feel that season three has been a way of testing the waters for the future of 'Homeland'. By leaving Brody in another deep, dark hole away from the world and the audience, it gives the writers and showrunners an opportunity to gauge fan reactions to a world without Brody. Damian Lewis has said himself that he thinks the writers are desperate to kill him so perhaps at the end of season three they will finally get their way.

Iran

It feels as though the Brody family are slowly being weeded out of the show and a greater part of the story is about Saul's attempts to get an agent into a powerful position in Iran. Though Damian Lewis is locked in for seven seasons, his character has already been through the wringer going from marine to terrorist to congressman to fugitive and now drug addict. He is a complex character and his relationship with Carrie has been a constant source of intrigue but where can the writers go with him next. It seems to me they are trying to write Brody out of the story and though the final few episodes of season three will undoubtedly focus on his part in Saul's grand plan, I cannot see him coming out of this season unharmed.

What do you think? Will they kill of Brody at the end of season 3?

Pete is a 'Homeland' addict and general TV and film junkie. He spends all his time in front of screens, screaming at characters like Carrie Mathison and wishing they could hear him. Follow Pete on Twitter or check out his film and TV blog: I Love That Film.